The Quietest Spot in the Towers
by Childofearth
Summary: Kes must unlock her powers to defeat a demon with a lust for power far greater then anyone could imagine. Not directly related to HP, different characters, but takes place at hogwarts
1. Voices

It was a typical summer day in the valley by Kestral's house. Kes, a girl of just seven, was down in the valley playing, as was her usually activity when she wished to escape the torment of her younger sister, Kastalia. To her the valley was her secret sanctuary, the only place where she would let her imagination run wild. Kes's parents allowed her to go there whenever she felt like it, they had no reason to be worried about anything happening her. The valley itself was, in fact, just a short distance from their house, which was located in an extremely secluded area.

That particular day Kes had decided to act out a story where she was a beautiful princess in danger and only her true love could save her. As she was playing, she thought she heard a voice. At first, she passed it off as the simple imaginings of her over-active mind. After all, she had been known to get so caught up in her own stories that she believed them to be real, often begging her parents to take her places that were very far away, swearing that she was being called there or that someone needed her help. And always there was at least one voice accompanying these stories, so this was nothing new. As of late, her parents had been getting more and more worried when she told them of the voices, and they never did what or took her where she asked, so she decided to keep this voice to herself. Not too much later, however, she heard the voice again.

Kes was starting to get frustrated. The voice had nothing to do with her or the prince coming to rescue her. In fact, the longer the voice spoke it seemed more like a cry for help then anything else. Wondering if the voice could be coming from a real person, she quickly scanned the valley and, upon seeing no one, tried to get back to her story. This proved to be impossible. Not only did the voice grow stronger and louder, but also now she began to hear more then one. The longer she listened to these voices, the more she seemed to recognize them, yet they were unfamiliar to her all the same. Kes started to get frightened, nothing like this had ever happened to her before. Deciding there was no point to staying in the valley and trying to continue her story, she made up her mind to go home.

At first she started walking towards her house, but something in the voices tone made her start to run. As she ran, the voices seemed to echo inside her, deep within. Not just in her mind, but within her very soul. She began to run faster, something inside of her told her that she had to get home as fast as she could. She wasn't quite sure what caused her to run so fast or what kept her going. But somehow she knew, without being fully aware, that it was not the simple fact that the voices were urging her to go on, but that the longer she took, the weaker the voices became.


	2. Fire

Kes reached her home only to find that it was completely engulfed in flames, consuming more of the house with every passing second. Kastalia, her four-year-old sister, was leaning out of her bedroom window, desperately trying to grab hold of the closest tree branch so that she could escape. When she saw Kes approach, she started screaming, pleading with Kes to save her.

Kes could see that there was no safe passage into the house and she knew that if she entered the flames would most likely kill her. Quickly she started to climb the large tree outside of Kastalia's third floor window. She doubted that she would be able to pull her sister to safety but she knew that this was the only way. Though she had climbed this tree many times before, it seemed much harder now. The heat from the sun and the flames was burning her face and hands and she was already exhausted from running home so quickly but she knew that she had to keep climbing. Kes looked up at her sister who was waiting anxiously at the window ledge. She was so far up; Kes had never climbed that high before. The higher she went, the more difficulty she began to have. The footholds were farther apart and many of the branches she used to pull herself up with broke off in her hands. She had almost reached her sister when she slipped, just barely catching the branch below, but wasting precious time. Finally, with one last pull, she managed to climb onto the branch outside her sister's window.

Kes moved slowly farther and farther out on the branch, wrapping her legs tight around the thick wood and squeezing the sides with her knees so that she wouldn't fall off. She was finally able to reach out and grab her sister's hand. Slowly, and with much effort, Kes was able to pull her sister to safety. They sat together on the branch for a moment, catching their breath, before beginning their descent.

Once they had reached the ground both girls were able to breathe a sigh of relief. Looking back up at their home, they watched as the flames continued to spread and then as the house began to collapse. Everything Kes owned, every memory she had, all was lost. But worse then losing her possessions was the realization that she had lost her family as well. Everyone she cared about had been inside the house as it burned. Her mom and dad, her grandma, and even her two-year old brother, Jack- all had perished in the flames. Her sister Kastalia had barely escaped, and would have died as well if Kes had not reached her in time. Kes had never felt more alone or empty in her life.

She held Kastalia's hand as they watched what was left of their house smoldering on the ground. Both girls were still so shocked by what had happened that neither was able to shed even a single tear. Kastalia squeezed her sister's hand, staring up into Kes's face, a look of devastation in Kastalia's no longer innocent eyes.

"Why did they do it, Kes?" Kastalia spoke softly, not sure if she should dare to speak yet.

Kes looked at her sister for a moment, wondering what she had meant. Could it be that the fire was not an accident?

"Why did who do what?" said Kes, trying not to seem too anxious.

"Those men!" cried Kastalia, "I was in my room and I heard them downstairs yelling at mommy and daddy. It scared me so I stayed where I was. They said something about our family being too much of a risk for them...then they yelled more but I couldn't hear what they said. After a while, I looked out my window and saw them setting fire to our house and running away. One of them was carrying something but he was too far away for me to see what it was. I tried to escape, but I was locked in! I was trapped! I'm sorry, sissy. I'm so sorry!" As Kastalia relived the day's events, tears came to her eyes and she threw her arms around her sister, scared that she would lose her, too.

Kes held her sister tight for a few moments, taking in everything that she had just said. How had her family been a risk? Who were those men? And what could they have possibly wanted to steal? All these thoughts and more ran through Kes's mind.

As the two girls stood there, clinging to one another, Kes whispered, "It's going to be alright. This isn't your fault; there was nothing you could do to stop it. I'm just happy that you are safe."

Kes let go of her sister and put her hands on her shoulders, just looking into Kastalia's eyes, "Everything is going to be alright," Kes reassured her, "I promise." Kes took her sisters hand in hers and together they started the long walk from the pile of ash that had once been there home towards a very unsure future.

Kes grew up that day. She was no longer a child. All of the innocence was lost and the childlike gleam disappeared from her eyes, never to return. She had to take care of herself and her sister now. She had no more time for childish games and fantasies. At just seven years old, Kes was no longer a child.


	3. The Village

(First off, let me point out that the character named "Arnissa", who makes her first appearance in this chapter, is in no way named after "Narcissa", Draco Malfoy's mother in the HP books. This is a strange coincidence that I discovered AFTER naming the character. The character Arnissa is actually named after a Celtic town in about 350 AD. Because of there similarity, the name will most likely be changed at a later date.)

Kes banged as loud as she could on the door of a small hut at the end of a village. They had traveled for four days now, sleeping during the day and walking at night, and having seen no signs of any human life up until now. They had found little food and their only shelter had been the trees in the forests. When they first saw the lights coming from the village, they were still a ways off, but the idea of food and shelter had been so comforting to them that they ran the entire way, stopping now at the first hut they came too. They could tell that it was well past midnight already, but neither girl had the patience or stamina to wait until morning. Kes was about to go and try the next hut when they heard a voice coming from inside.

"Who is it?" They heard a female voice question them.

"Please, ma'am. My name is Kestral. My sister and I have been traveling for four days and we need food and a place to rest."

After a moment, the lady opened the door and, upon seeing that two girls were alone, ushered them inside. "Come in, dears. Come in. Oh, you must be freezing- why, you are barely wearing anything at all! Take a seat on the couch, dears. I'll put a pot of tea on the fire. Now, I want you to tell me everything. Start with why you two are out there at night, all by your lonesome."

Kes and Kastalia were somewhat overwhelmed with the woman's quick greeting but never the less, they sat on the couch and Kes began to explain what had happened. She had barely said a word when she heard a baby crying in another room.

"Oh, sorry dears," apologized the lady, "that's my daughter, Emma. I'll just be a moment." The lady disappeared into one of the rooms, emerging a few seconds later cradling a crying baby in her arms. The child looked to be about one year of age and was beginning to quiet now that she was in her mother's arms. The child's mother proceeded to sit down in a rocking chair by the fire, across from the couch on which the girl's sat, before saying, "Now, before you tell me why you are here, we must introduce ourselves. I was so surprised by your appearance that I completely forgot to do this before but now that things have calmed down a bit my manners are returning to me. My name is Arnissa. Arnissa LeRay. And this is my daughter Emma. Before you ask, I will tell you that her father died a few months ago so that is why we are alone here. Now, you said your name was... was..."

Kestral decided this was the proper time to interrupt Arnissa and answer her question, "My name is Kestral, ma'am. Though I go by Kes. And this is my younger sister, Kastalia. Kestral and Kastalia Sorawin, ma'am."

Arnissa became suddenly very curious, "Sorawin, you say? You aren't the children of Lea and Peter Sorawin, by any chance?"

Upon hearing their parent's names, both children became suddenly very solemn. "Yes, ma'am," Kes spoke, finally, "Only... only, both of our parents are dead. They were murdered. That's why we are here."

"Oh my stars," replied Arnissa, "You will stay here with me from now on. There is a spare room you two can have. First, however, I very much want to know what happened. Then you two will go straight to bed." Arnissa had an air of authority in her voice, so neither child argued. Kes told Arnissa the entire story, only pausing once to thank her when she handed her a cup of tea. When she had finished, both children were shown into a small room with one dresser and two beds. Once in bed, Kastalia started to say something to Kes, but both were sound asleep before she had finished.


	4. The Governor

Arnissa pulled her cloak tight around her and held her baby as close to her as she could as she hurried out into the crisp morning air. Though it was summer, the nights and mornings were still very cold. After the children had gone to bed, Arnissa tried to go back to sleep herself but, finding that her attempts were useless, she waited by the fire until the sun started to come up over the tops of the trees. Now she was hurrying through the grassy village, her shoe's damp with dew, towards the governor's hut that stood in the middle. She knew he would still be asleep, but she needed to speak to him before the girls awoke. Upon reaching his home, she climbed the three stone stairs to the door and knocked as loudly as she could. After a few moments, Arnissa heard a voice coming from inside.

"Coming, coming. Hold on one moment." Spoke the governor with a deep, slow voice. Arnissa watched as a very tired opened the front door, a look of shock and questioning upon his face. "Arnissa, my dear woman, what is it? Come in, come in.

"Katherine," said the governor to a very tired and confused woman, who had just stepped into the room, "Would you please make some tea for Arnissa and myself? I dare say, we could use some right now. So," said the governor, turning to Arnissa who now sat upon the couch, cradling a sleeping baby, "What is it you are in such a rush to tell me?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you at this early hour, sir, it's just that something very unexpected has just happened. As I was sleeping last night, I heard a knock on the door. It must have been around one or two in the morning, so I was fairly cautious before answering it. When I asked who it was, I heard a child's voice. She said the she and her sister had been travelling four days and needed food and a place to rest. Well, when I saw that they were alone, I, of course, let them in." Arnissa paused to say thank you to Katherine and sip the tea that had just been handed to her before continuing,

"Once the children were seated and comfortable, I proceeded to ask them a few questions, starting with their names, of course. And that's the thing that really got me...I wasn't sure If I believed them or not...It wasn't until after they finished telling me what had happened and why they were here that I knew they were telling the truth. Anyway, it turns out that their parents were murdered in a fire that also killed their little brother and destroyed their house..."

"Arnissa," Interrupted the governor, "What _are_ their names?"

"Kestral and Kastalia Sorawin!" exclaimed Arnissa, "The Sorawin's are dead! Only their two daughters survive!"

"Oh my..." sighed the governor, " I never would have imagined...are you sure?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I am sure," replied Arnissa, "When I asked them their parent's names, they said they were Lea and Peter. Not only that, but it all fits. The house was far enough away...two daughters and one son...and Kestral said that the reason they were attacked was because 'they were too much of a risk'. Though, Kes didn't know why. She also said that they stole an object from her house as well. Neither of them had any idea what it was."

"Where are the children now?" asked the governor.

"They are at my house, sir. I have two beds in a spare room, they are sleeping there right now."

"Good," said the governor, "They are to stay with you. When they each turn thirteen, I will train them like I train all the children in this village. I am asking you to allow them to stay with you until the time comes when they decide to leave. Treat them as if they were daughters. In a few months time, once they get a bit more settled, send Kestral to me and I will tell her everything she needs to know. Until then, do not tell them of the magic that they possess, nor of the magic that Emma or any of the other people in this village possess. Their parents were right in wanting to stay hidden, and they were right in not telling them who they really are yet. It will be up to Kestral to tell Kastalia. I believe things like this are best explained by family, it's a shame that neither will hear it from their parents.

"Furthermore, no one must know who they are or even that the children of Lea and Peter are still alive. Word will spread soon enough that the Sorawin family has perished. If the men that attacked them think the children are still alive then they will surely come after them, perhaps killing every person and destroying every village they come to. I am sure that those men were more concerned with the deaths of the children then they were the deaths of their parents. Because of that, they are to take your last name and leave the name of Sorawin behind them. Tell anyone who asks that they are the orphaned children of your cousin. Make sure those girls know that this is the story they are to stick to. Tell Kestral and Kastalia that this is for their protection, and then say nothing more.

"Those men that attacked them have one purpose, and that purpose only. They wish to rid the world of magic. With or without those men, magic will die in a very short amount of time. Those of us here in this village are the only ones left who still possess the old magic. The Sorawin's were the only family left outside of here. Soon enough the children of this village will have to marry people from other parts of the world, people who do not possess magic, and so the gift will fade out. It is a terrible time that is upon us now. The men will do whatever they can to see the end of magic within their lifetime. Of course, by trying to kill those children... Had they succeeded... Well, it would have been a huge leap in the disappearance of magic, to say the least.

"For now, Arnissa, go home. I imagine that the children will be awaking shortly, and there is much you need to tell them. In a few months, I will send for Kestral. Until then, I hope you are well. If you ever need anything, please feel free to ask and we will do the best we can." The governor ended with a very solemn tone then stood up to show Arnissa to the door.

"Thank you, sir," Arnissa replied, standing up as well, "I guess I will be seeing you soon." Arnissa left the governor's hut and quickly returned home. She was worried about what all of this meant- would the men attack her village? Trying to turn her mind away from these things, she thought only of how she was going to tell the children what there future was now to be. Sighing deeply, she stepped inside her home and began to prepare breakfast.


End file.
